Calcutta, May 15: The woman in the couple held for feigning as the chief minister’s kin today admitted that she had been posing as Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s wife and niece for over a fortnight. In that period, she had duped a senior CPM functionary of Siliguri, police and district officials in Siliguri and Raigunj.

Buli Duttagupta and her husband, Sanjay, were caught in Malda on Saturday.

Siliguri police and the CPM office there failed to see through their confidence trick as the couple cheated the senior party functionary and a police officer of several thousand of rupees.

The Duttaguptas were brought to the city yesterday evening and were interrogated by additional director-general of police, CID, R.K. Mohanty, deputy inspector general of police, CID, Raj Kanojia and other senior officers.

Buli and Sanjay had reached Siliguri on April 20. Buli told interrogators that she had information that her father had died recently and her brother was trying to usurp her share of property.

The two checked into Shivsagar Lodge in Siliguri and began talking with lawyers. Buli said they ran out of money after 10 days and shifted to a lodge with a lower room rent.

“Sanjay claimed they had told the lodge owner about their predicament and requested him to waive the rent as they were penniless but would soon have enough money after the disposal of their case in court,’’ said Kanojia.

The con duo told interrogators that as the lodge did not have a restaurant, they used to frequent a roadside eatery for lunch and dinner. “While having food at the dhaba they met Tapan Roy, a transport broker. Buli and Sanjay told Roy they were relatives of the chief minister and were having a hard time in court. Buli claimed that looking at their predicament, Roy introduced them to the central intelligence officer, Benugopal Ghosh,’’ a CID officer said.

“Buli claimed Roy had told them that Ghosh was an influential person and would definitely help them out of the crisis.’’

Almost penniless, Buli called up Jibesh Sarkar, a senior CPM functionary, and posing as wife of the chief minister told him that her niece was in Siliguri. She asked Sarkar to help her with money. “Buli claimed to have collected Rs 57,000 in about 10 days from Sarkar,’’ said Mohanty.

On May 8, she claimed, Roy told her to proceed to Raigunj to meet one of his acquaintances, who could offer a job to Sanjay.

“It was then that she (Buli) hit upon the idea of calling up Ghosh once again and making the trip to Raigunj at the district administration’s expenses,’’ the officer said. “They have even conned Ghosh of Rs 4,500.”

The additional DG, CID said officers have recorded Buli and Sanjay’s statements and will shortly verify her versions. “We will check and cross check every bit of information,’’ he added.

Citu murder

Citu worker and ESI hospital employee in Durgapur, Sailen Giri, 28, was shot dead at Khoyrasole in the New Township area tonight.